Traveling with children isn’t complete without visiting the happiest place on earth: Disneyland!
As parents with young children, you may second guess whether Disneyland is a great destination for your first trip with your baby. Especially since most Disneyland rides also have a minimum height requirement for visitors to enjoy!
However, toddlers under 3 years old can get free entrance to most Disney theme parks, which is a good reason why you should take them there when you can.
So, is Disneyland the right place to go with young kids? What are the best toddler-friendly rides at Disneyland that you can enjoy with your family? Let’s find out!
Top 10 Disneyland Rides for Toddlers and Young Children
- It’s a Small World
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Jungle Cruise
- Alice in Wonderland
- The Enchanted Tiki Room
1. It’s a Small World
This Disneyland boat ride is one of the attractions that can inspire your kids to travel and explore more of the world. “It’s a Small World” is a ride suitable for toddlers and young children that you can find in various Disneyland theme parks, from Magic Kingdom in Orlando to Hong Kong Disneyland!
Suitable for visitors of all ages, you can take your toddlers to voyage through over 300 dolls in traditional costumes from various cultures to promote diversity around the world. This Disneyland ride is a great addition, especially if you introduce your kids to reading some books to inspire them to travel, as it showcases the visual of kids from other cultures that they read in the books.
“It’s a Small World” is considered a Disneyland classic ride, something that you shouldn’t miss out on when visiting the Disney theme park. The ride was initially operated for the New York World’s Fair in 1964, it was overseen by Walt Disney himself in support of the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
2. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Another iconic attraction at Disneyworld, “Dumblo the Flying Elephant,” is a classic ride on Dumbo where you can control the flight as it soars up and down. It’s one of the original attractions in Disney theme park, and it’s so popular that all Disneylands worldwide have this ride!
This attraction can be a fun ride for toddlers as they can learn to take control while enjoying going up and down through the carousel. However, it may not be suitable for your kids if they’re afraid of heights due to the nature of this attraction.
“Dumbo the Flying Elephant” is so iconic that you can find the ride in all six Disney theme parks around the world, so don’t miss taking your kids on this ride when visiting Disneyland!
3. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Another ride that’s based on the Disney film with the same title, you and your toddlers can enjoy the trackless ride to get on an adventure with Winnie the Pooh and his friends. “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” are available in slightly different forms at various Disney theme parks around the world, including Tokyo and Shanghai Disneyland.
Through this ride, you and your kids can watch the audio-animatronics version of the movie. It can be a great idea to watch the 1977 movie before visiting the Disney theme park so you can encourage your toddler to memorize what they’ve seen in the movie and find the difference as you go on the ride in Disneyland.
While the ride to “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” doesn’t have a minimum age requirement, keep in mind that you and your toddlers will go through a whimsical journey in a dark building, so this may not be a good option if your child struggles in the dark environment.
4. Peter Pan’s Flight
Embark on a magical flight with your children to see where they bring the story of Peter Pan comes to life. You can get on Peter Pan’s Flight in most Disney theme parks, including Disneyland Paris and Tokyo.
On this rail-suspended ride in Disneyland, you can take your babies and toddlers as the attraction is open to visitors of all ages. However, be ready to wait in a long queue as the ride has a relatively low capacity compared to the number of daily visitors waiting for the ride. This is one of the attractions in Disney theme parks that make it worth upgrading to the fast queue line.
Although you can sit your baby on the lap for Peter Pan’s flight, be aware that this ride has a combination of height and dark environment, so this ride may not be a perfect fit if your children are not used to any of those.
5. Casey Jr. Circus Train
Inspired by the circus train from Dumbo movie, Casey Jr. Circus Train ride on Disneyland will take you and your children on a gentle journey around Storybook Land. You can get a ride on these colorful train cars combined with catchy music in Disneyland Paris.
Casey Jr. Circus Train is definitely one of the best toddler-friendly rides in Disney theme park, as it’s an outdoor ride that won’t require you to any height level. This attraction is also located in the same area as Storybook Land Canal Boats, so you can include it after the Casey Jr. Circus Train ride with your child!
6. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
If you have young kids now, chances are you also grew up with Toy Story. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride at Disneyland can be a great choice to reminisce about your childhood while also having fun with your children.
While you can find Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters at Disneyland in California or Hong Kong, you can also find similar rides with different names in the other Disney theme parks. If you go to Magic Kingdom in Orlando, you can find this ride under the name Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. However, if you go to Disneyland in Paris, the ride is known as Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.
On this ride, you and your toddlers can join Buzz Lightyear on an interactive space adventure to defeat the evil Emperor Zurg. It’s a great way to bond with your kid, as you can help them aim the laser guns to defeat the enemy!
7. The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
This slow-moving ride on a shell-shaped train is a great attraction in Disneyland that offers the scenes and music from The Little Mermaid. Suitable for babies and toddlers, you can also sing along through the ride, especially if your kids know some theme songs from the movie.
You can get on The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure in either Disney California or Orlando’s Magic Kingdom Park. It’s also another dark ride in Disneyland, although the scenes have glittered with colorful neons and lights that can make a mesmerizing experience for young children!
8. Jungle Cruise
Jungle Cruise is one of the best toddler-friendly rides in Disneyland, but parents have to stay vigilant if they decide to get on this ride when visiting the Disney theme park. Due to the nature of being a riverboat cruise, you may want to choose the seat in the middle, especially if your toddler is curious about the river and its surroundings.
Pay attention to the commentary and animatronic animals, and Jungle Cruise can be an entertaining adventure for the whole family as long as you prioritize your safety before getting on the boat.
If you plan to get on a Jungle Cruise ride in Hong Kong Disneyland, be sure to get in the right queue as they are the only Disney theme park in the world that provides guests with commentary in three different languages; English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Each language has a different queue line, so make sure you wait on the right lane before voyaging the jungle in Disneyland!
9. Mad Tea Party
Another classic ride in Disneyland, you can’t bring your toddlers to Disneyland without getting a ride on the Mad Tea Party. Based on the Unbirthed Party scene in the classic Alice in Wonderland, you can take your child to spin on one of the pastel teacups on this ride.
Mad Tea Party is available in various locations of Disney theme parks, from Anaheim to Tokyo. You can also find a cup near the attraction as a selfie spot if you get a chance to visit Disneyland in Hong Kong.
Although there is no minimum age or height requirement to get on the Mad Tea Party ride, the attraction is known as it caused motion sickness due to the spinning experience during the ride. Be aware of this before taking your children for a spin at Mad Tea Party in Disneyland!
10. The Enchanted Tiki Room
Step into a tropical paradise filled with singing birds, flowers, and animatronic tikis in the Enchanted Tiki Room. You can find this ride in Disneyland California, Magic Kingdom in Orlando, and Tokyo Disneyland.
This charming show combines music and animatronics, providing an engaging experience for toddlers. It can be especially joyful if your kids love birds since you’ll be accompanied by various birds singing throughout the ride.
Conclusion
Visiting Disneyland with babies and toddlers may not offer the optimal experience since most rides in Disney theme parks require a minimum age or height. However, don’t stop this from taking your kids to the happiest place on earth because there are some toddler-friendly rides in Disneyland you can explore with your family!
From the classic Dumbo the Flying Elephant to voyaging through the Jungle Cruise, there are many things to see and ride in Disneyland with your young kids. So, which one of these 10 best Disneyland rides is your favorite?
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